These 161 Tricky Common Sense Questions Are Guaranteed to Make You Think Twice (Free PDF for Download)

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Have you ever been in a situation where a seemingly simple question left you scratching your head? Common sense is a vital tool we use every day, but sometimes, a tricky twist can turn a basic concept into a mind-bending puzzle.

This article goes beyond your average common sense trivia questions. We’ve compiled a massive list of 161 common sense questions categorized by theme, with difficulty levels ranging from easy to mind-blowing.
These tricky common sense questions are a fun way to test your knowledge or spark conversation, whether as an icebreaker, for a trivia game, or PowerPoint nights. They might seem straightforward at first glance, but they often have a hidden catch or require some creative thinking to reach the answer.

So, are you ready to put your common sense to the test? Grab your thinking cap, challenge yourself, and maybe even stump a friend or two with these tricky common sense questions!

Everyday Riddles

1. What has to be broken before you can use it?

1. What has to be wound before it can be used?

1. What has a neck without a head, a body without legs, and can be found in the sea?

Answer: A bottle

1. What has one head, one foot, and four legs?

1. What has cities, but no houses; mountains, but no trees; and water, but no fish?

1. I am full of keys but cannot open a single door. What am I?

1. I am full of stories but have no voice. What am I?

1. I am always growing but never eat. I have pages but no words. What am I?

Answer: A calendar

1. What has a neck without a head, a body without legs, and can be found in a bottle?

Answer: The cork

1. What has to be filled before you can empty it?

1. What has to be passed first before you can pass yourself?

1. You can hold it without ever touching it. What is it?

Answer: Your breath

1. What gets heavier the more you take from it?

1. What has to be wet before it can be dry?

Wordplay and Logic

1. What has to come first, the answer or the question?

Answer: The question

1. I am always coming, but never arrive. What am I?

1. What is full of holes but can still hold water?

Answer: A sponge

1. What has a neck without a head, a body without legs, and is used to write?

1. What falls but never breaks, and what breaks but never falls?

Answer: Night falls, Day breaks

1. You throw a red ball into the blue sea. What color does the ball turn?

Answer: The ball stays red

1. What has to be wet before you can use it?

Answer: A teabag

1. What has one voice but cannot speak?

1. What gets sharper the more you use it?

Answer: Your brain

1. What has a bank but no money, a bed but no sleep, and a mouth but cannot speak?

Answer: A riverbank

1. What word is spelled incorrectly in every dictionary?

Answer: The word ‘incorrectly’

1. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?

Answer: The letter ‘M’

1. What has a beginning, a middle, and an end, but no voice to tell its story?

1. What can be cracked, made, told, and played?

1. What belongs to you, but other people use it more than you do?

Answer: Your name.

Tickle Your Funny Bone

1. Why did the scarecrow win an award?

Answer: Because he was outstanding in his field

1. What do you call a fish with no eyes?

1. Why did the bicycle fall over?

Answer: Because it was two tired

1. What do you call a belt made of watches?

A waist of time!

1. When a cow laughs, what does it produce?

1. Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants?

Answer: In case he got a hole-in-one

1. What do you call a bear with no teeth?

Answer: A gummy bear!

1. What do you call a funny mountain?

Pop Culture Puzzles

1. I wear a mask but have no face. I fight crime but carry no weapon. Who am I?

1. I have a heart of gold and a straw brain. What am I?

Answer: The Wizard of Oz – Scarecrow

1. I am full of jokes but never laugh. I have a cast of characters but never act. What am I?

Answer: A sitcom

1. I am a tiny green creature with a love for mischief and bananas. Who am I?

Answer: Grogu from “The Mandalorian”

1. What has a golden snitch but no Quidditch pitch?

Answer: The Hunger Games trilogy – Mockingjay pin

1. I’m a set of building blocks that can create anything you imagine. Who am I?

1. What detective always says “Elementary, my dear Watson”?

Answer: Sherlock Holmes

1. What game forces you to catch ’em all?

1. I’m a time-traveling alien with a loyal blue companion. What am I?

Answer: The Doctor from Doctor Who

1. I’m a fictional world with seven kingdoms vying for the Iron Throne. What am I?

Answer: Westeros from Game of Thrones

1. I’m a blue cat with a robotic arm and a magic pocket. What am I?

1. I’m a phrase associated with a pointy-eared alien species known for their logical minds. What am I?

Answer: Live Long and Prosper – Star Trek

1. I’m a magical school hidden within a castle. What am I?

Answer: Hogwarts from Harry Potter

1. I’m a phrase spoken before a wish is made on seven magical balls. What am I?

Answer: I wish, with all my heart – Dragon Ball Z

1. I’m a recent re-recorded album that includes a ten-minute version of a fan favorite. What am I?

Answer: Red (Taylor’s Version)

1. What game show asks contestants to answer trivia questions in the form of a “final” clue?

Download these Jeopardy-inspired PowerPoint templates to turn these common sense questions into a gameshow!

From the Famous American Game Show – Jeopardy

1. This novel, set during the American Civil War, follows the lives of the March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

Answer: What is Little Women?

1. ​​In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered this groundbreaking element that led to the development of the first widely used antibiotic.

Answer: What is penicillin?

1. This American inventor is best known for creating the first practical telephone.

Answer: Who is Alexander Graham Bell?

1. Standing 3,247 feet tall, this New York City statue welcomes immigrants to the United States.

Answer: What is the Statue of Liberty?

1. ​​Dubbed the “King of Pop,” this American singer and entertainer revolutionized the music industry with hits like “Thriller.”

Answer: Who is Michael Jackson?

1. On July 20, 1969, humans first set foot on the moon during this historic Apollo mission.

Answer: What is Apollo 11?

1. This American physicist is best known for his theory of relativity, expressed in the famous equation E=mc².

Answer: Who is Albert Einstein?

1. Known for his distinctive visual style, this American filmmaker directed movies like “Inception” and “The Dark Knight.” Who is he?

Answer: Christopher Nolan.

1. This gas, essential for life, makes up about 78% of Earth’s atmosphere.

Answer: What is Nitrogen?

1. This iconic British novelist is known for her classic novel “Pride and Prejudice”.

Answer: Who is Jane Austen?

Don't stop at Jeopardy - turn these common sense questions into exhilarating gameshows with PowerPoint templates inspired by more American shows like Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud!

Globe Trotting Trivia

1. What is the capital of France?

1. What famous landmark is actually a tomb?

Answer: The Taj Mahal (It’s often mistaken for a palace)

1. Which continent is known as the “Land Down Under”?

1. What is the longest river in the world?

Answer: Nile River.

1. Name three countries that are part of Scandinavia.

Answer: Norway, Sweden, Denmark.

1. Which mountain range separates Europe from Asia?

Answer: Ural Mountains.

1. What is the largest desert in the world by area?

Answer: Antarctica (Antarctic Desert).

1. In which ocean would you find the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth?

Answer: Pacific Ocean.

1. Which country is known as the “Land of the Rising Sun”?

1. Name three countries that share a border with Brazil.

Answer: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay.

1. Which African country is known as the “Pearl of Africa”?

1. What is the capital city of Canada?

1. What is the world’s largest ocean?

Answer: Pacific Ocean.

1. What is the currency of China?

Answer: Renminbi or Yuan

1. What is the capital city of Brazil?

Math and Science Mysteries

1. What is half of 1 + 1?

1. If a dozen eggs cost $1.20, how much does one egg cost?

Answer: 10 cents

1. What has no voice but can still make you cry?

Answer: An onion

1. I am always hungry and must always be fed; the finger I touch will soon turn red. What am I?

1. What goes up but never comes down?

Answer: Your age

1. What has to be passing before you can see it?

1. I am a fraction. My numerator is half of my denominator. What am I?

1. I am a number that is always one more than the previous number. What am I?

Answer: The next number

1. I am invisible but can have a devastating impact. What am I?

1. What is the scientific name for a baby kangaroo?

1. What is the chemical symbol for water?

1. What weighs nothing at all but can still fill a room?

1. In the human body, what has no muscles but can still move on its own?

Answer: Intestines (They use smooth muscle contractions for peristalsis)

Use the above questions, along with these math teaching strategies to make learning more fun!

Food for Thought

1. I am always coming back for seconds, but I never leave the table. What am I?

Answer: Your appetite

1. What has to be cracked before you can eat it, but is not an egg?

1. I am full of holes, but I can still hold things inside. What am I?

Answer: A colander

1. What gets eaten whole but comes out in pieces?

Answer: Corn on the cob

1. I am always coming and going, but I never leave the table. What am I?

1. I am light and fluffy, yet filling at the same time. I disappear quickly when eaten. What am I?

Answer: Cotton candy

1. You throw me away when I am young and green, but come running for me when I am old and red. What am I?

Answer: A watermelon

1. What gets smaller the more you use it, but is never truly gone?

Answer: A stick of gum

1. What food is always coming back for more, even after you tell it to leave?

1. I can be spicy, sweet, or tangy. I’m often added to food to enhance its flavor. What am I?

1. I’m a popular Italian dish made with layers of pasta, cheese, and tomato sauce. What am I?

1. I’m made from milk and can be soft or hard. People often put me on sandwiches or melt me over pasta. What am I?

1. I’m a small, green vegetable often used in salads. Some people love me, while others think I taste like soap. What am I?

1. I’m a tropical fruit with a tough, spiky outer shell and sweet, juicy inside. What am I?

1. I’m a breakfast food made from ground grains and usually served with milk. People often add sugar, fruits, or nuts to me. What am I?

All About Fauna

1. What is the only mammal that can fly?

1. What animal can sleep for three years straight?

1. What is the fastest land animal?

Answer: The cheetah

1. What kind of snake can swallow an animal much larger than its head?

Answer: A constrictor snake

1. What kind of bear can stand on its hind legs and is the tallest land predator?

Answer: A grizzly bear

1. What insect has the strongest bite force relative to its size?

Answer: A dung beetle

1. Dolphins are known for their intelligence and playful behavior. What do they use for echolocation?

Answer: Clicks and whistles

1. What sea creature has a venomous sting on its tail?

Answer: A scorpionfish

1. Kangaroos are marsupials. What does that mean?

Answer: They carry their young in a pouch

1. What is the only bird that can fly backward?

Answer: A hummingbird

1. What is the collective noun for a group of penguins?

Answer: A waddle or colony

1. What kind of spider spins webs that can catch large prey, like birds and fish?

Answer: A golden orb-weaver spider

1. What kind of shark is the largest fish in the world?

Answer: The whale shark

1. What flightless bird is native to New Zealand and known for its loud call?

The Ultimate Sports Quiz

1. What sport is known as the “King of Sports”?

1. In which year were the first modern Olympic Games held?

1. What is the highest score achievable in a single frame of professional bowling?

1. What is the name of the prestigious annual tennis tournament held at Wimbledon?

Answer: Championships, Wimbledon

1. Which sport awards a “Super Bowl” trophy to its champion?

Answer: American Football

1. Which sport features a “fairway” and a “hole in one”?

1. Which sport features a “pitcher” and a “catcher”?

1. Which sport features a “check” and a “mate”?

1. What sport features a “spike” and a “dig”?

1. Which sport features a “wicket” and a “batsman”?

1. Which sport features a “kegler” and a “strike”?

1. What sport features a “paddock” and a “vault”?

1. Which sport features a “rink” and a “stone”?

1. What sport features a “ring” and a “knockout”?

The Trickiest of Them All!

1. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

1. I am always hungry. I must always be fed. The finger I touch will soon turn red. What am I?

1. What has an endless supply of letters but starts empty?

1. What has a heart that doesn’t beat?

1. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?

1. What has a head and a tail, but has no legs?

1. The person who makes it, sells it. The person who buys it never uses it. What is it?

Answer: A coffin.

1. You have me today, tomorrow, and yesterday. I am never here but always there. What am I?

Answer: The answer is “nothing.”

1. What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?

Answer: The future.

1. Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not. What am I?

1. You are in a dark room with a match, a gas lamp, and a candle. What do you light first?

Answer: The match (You need the match to light the other two sources)

1. What gets smaller the more you use it?

Answer: A bar of soap

1. Two fathers and two sons went fishing together. They caught three fish in total, yet each person had one fish. How is this possible?

Answer: There was a grandfather, father, and son (two fathers and two sons)

Need more engagement in the classroom? Try these effective questioning techniques to increase student participation.

More Trivia Twist

1. In which year did the first episode of “The Simpsons” air?

1. Who is known as the “Queen of Pop”?

1. Which planet is known as the “Red Planet”?

1. In which year did the Titanic sink?

1. Who wrote the play “Hamlet”?

Answer: William Shakespeare.

1. Which famous scientist developed the theory of general relativity?

Answer: Albert Einstein.

1. What is the largest mammal in the world?

Answer: Blue Whale.

1. Who painted the famous artwork “Starry Night”?

Answer: Vincent van Gogh.

1. Which planet is often referred to as the “Evening Star” or “Morning Star”?

1. In what year did the first manned moon landing take place?

1. Who wrote the novel “1984”?

Answer: George Orwell.

1. Who composed the musical masterpiece “The Four Seasons”?

Answer: Antonio Vivaldi.

1. What is the name of the first person to walk on the moon?

Answer: Neil Armstrong

1. What soft drink was originally created as a medicine?

Turn these trivia questions into fun PowerPoint slides with this PowerPoint trivia template. Use it for your next hang-out or gathering!

Want to keep the fun going? Download this collection of questions (and maybe even surprise yourself with a few answers you didn’t know!) as a handy PDF for future reference or to share with others.

Common Sense Questions Collection

Download and play this common sense questions trivia!

Gamifying Your Common Sense Questions in PowerPoint

Elevate these tricky common sense questions with a fun and interactive PowerPoint presentation! Here’s a step-by-step guide to gamifying your common sense trivia questions and turning them into a lively competition:

Step 1: Set the Stage

Start by opening your PowerPoint presentation and input these common sense trivia questions onto the slides. Ensure that each question is on a separate slide, creating a seamless flow for the game.

Step 2: Integrate ClassPoint

Visit ClassPoint’s website to download and install ClassPoint for free. This tool will enable you to run interactive quiz in PowerPoint and gamify your presentation seamlessly, allowing you to infuse interactive elements that elevate your common sense questions to the next level.

Step 3: Set Up Interactive Quizzes

With ClassPoint installed, navigate to the slide where the first question is located. Activate the interactive quiz by selecting one of the 8 quiz types on the ClassPoint toolbar within your PowerPoint ribbon. This will transform your static common sense questions into an engaging format. You can also adjust the difficulty, scoring options, and the timing of the quiz during this step.

Step 4: Launch the Quiz

Invite participants to join the quiz by providing them with the unique code generated on the top right of your presentation. This ensures that everyone can actively participate using their devices at classpoint.app. Your participants can either manually input the codes on their devices or scan the QR provided.

Step 5: Monitor Responses and Award Points in Real-Time

As participants submit their answers, use ClassPoint’s real-time monitoring feature to award points, track scores and overall progress. This live feedback adds an extra level of excitement to the trivia night.

Step 6: Display Leaderboard Updates

Keep the competition fierce by displaying leaderboard updates after each question. This visual representation of participants’ standings intensifies the competitive spirit. If you’d like a certain someone to answer more often, use the random name picker function to ensure everyone has an equal chance to participate.

Step 7: Conclude with a Winner

Wrap up the trivia night by revealing the final leaderboard and celebrating the trivia champion. A well-organized conclusion ensures that everyone leaves with a positive experience, eager for the next gamified trivia adventure.

Wrapping Up

We’ve taken a whirlwind tour through the wacky world of tricky common sense questions. From perplexing puzzles to mind-bending riddles that test our everyday assumptions, these questions have ignited a playful spirit of curiosity. As you share these common sense trivia questions with friends and family, remember the thrill of the unexpected “Aha!” moment and the satisfaction of a well-earned answer.

Remember, the true magic of these tricky common sense questions lies not just in answering them correctly, but in the journey of discovering the answers itself. So, keep the questions flowing, let curiosity be your guide, and embrace the thrill of the unknown!

About Febriana Ramadhanya

Febriana is a versatile content writer and SEO specialist. Throughout her career, she's worked with top e-commerce players in SEA to grow their organic traffic through content & SEO strategies. She has now embarked on a journey in EdTech, where her passion for knowledge sharing can be put to good use. Outside of ClassPoint, she's a budding mentor, helping peers and fresh grads navigate the world of marketing, tech, and startups. When not working, you can find her hanging out with her cat at home, going to pilates classes, traveling to new places, and making new connections.

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